Pastor Russ really challenged me yesterday through his message.
In particular, he quoted a scripture that felt like it leapt off the page to me:
Matthew 11:30 says: " For My yoke is easy...".
The work "my" struck me as I remembered something that I had learned years ago: There are many things that have been passed down as tradition about Jesus and his disciples that might or might not be true. One of those traditions involves Jesus and yokes. It seems that the common belief is that Jesus and his earthly father, Joseph, were famous yoke-makers. People traveled days just to buy them because the were so well constructed.
The entire verse reads: 28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
I love the "my". It almost seems that he is proud of this ownership and skill. If the tradition is true, it would make so much sense.
What else would the Master make?
A piece of tack that is used for guiding and controlling animals so that the MOST potential is reached with each animal. A bad yoke injures the animal and doesn't allow the full potential of strength to be reached. Poorly constructed yokes make the animal work harder than it should. It also makes it harder to control and guide the beast.
Jesus doesn't guide with force.
That isn't the kind of gentleman he is.
Also what I love here is that he says it's up to us. He says, "Take my yoke and you will learn from me." It's our choice whether or not to put it on.
Oxen, after a while, know where their master wants them to go and what he wants the to do with just the slightest touch. Is it like that the first day they wear a yoke? Of course not. But through time, through truly understanding the needs, the voice, and the gentle but firm instruction of their master, oxen (some of the strongest most willful animals in the world) can create fields of plowed soil in very little time. The added benefit of a well-constructed yoke was that the burden that the beasts would carry seem so much less because it is fitted to the animal. Each animal is unique and requires it own, specially designed yoke to have the reach it's full potential.
How much like those beasts we can be!
How much we need to own that decision to take on the yoke (that is, to take on his authority and guidance of the Holy Spirit while submitting to him). Our life will be so much richer, fuller, and spirit-led. It is the only way we can reach our full potential in Him...
Alright, Jesus. Yoke me! :)
